I twisted open the oil cap on my 2001 RX-300 and saw some thing that resembles a thick filter material full of oil. What is that? any ideas?

 

I have seen this, too. I forget what we found out when we discussed it not too long ago in the forum, but it ain't sludge and was nothing to worry about. I thought it might be some varnish.

 

" A thick filter material under the cap " .. On the cap itself or in the engine, where the oil flows into the valve cover? There is a plastic funnel guide that collects a little varnish on it's surface down inside the valve cover, but it does not indicate any problems or sludge. Is it a toyota oil cap with the 5W30 oil weight written on it?

 

on the engine (not the oil cap) where the oil flows to the valve cover.

 

That's a splash baffle underneath the oil filler cap. When you look down the oil filler hole, you see the baffle. You can't see the valve train or cylinder head. If you want to see if you have sludge, you have to remove the valve cover. Looking at the baffle is not definitive.

 

that is helpful. very helpful. I did not know what I was looking at. but now I do.

 

I figured the baffle is to keep out extraneous objects as much as any other purpose. For me it impedes flow of oil when pouring from the bottle leading to overflow - is there a way to slide it away purposefully to add oil then move it back in place?

OT - Lex, what does a TRD thermostat offer?

 

Some info on that T-Stat. It says 71C instead of the stock 82C. I got it at L-Tuned parts, http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=488

After I added the T-Stat, the temperature gauge stays at the halfway mark and sometimes will touch the next lowest mark at night on the highway. It took a little bit of work to change it out.

See this thread again, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=196535

 

[QUOTE=parula]I figured the baffle is to keep out extraneous objects as much as any other purpose. For me it impedes flow of oil when pouring from the bottle leading to overflow - is there a way to slide it away purposefully to add oil then move it back in place?

No.

 

thks, I figured that would be the case.

 

[QUOTE=ericok]
When I first got our rx300 that so called baffle was coated with about 1/16th of an inch of varnish which I carefully removed with my fingernail.

Oil flows in much easier.

I did however worry about what might be in the engine, hence I purchased an engine flush product and changed the oil 2 times within the next 1500 km (approx 1000 miles) with cheap oil, then went to synthetic since.

Interesting why Lexus felt baffle was necessary.
Don't want to think what may be on the underside of the baffle if the top of it was that caked on with varnish.

 

[QUOTE=Fern]I use a Liqui Moly Engine Flush down here (my uncle prefers Kerosene and on occasion it grabs some oil clumps.